[Blistering Winds]

out of all the damage, blister's hips to tail head has the WORST damage

Feeling him, his winter coat is trash and his hips are aweful aweful aweful! He feels like a 30 yr old horse that has no muscle tone and on its last leg!!!!

UUUUGGGGHHHHH **SHivers**

basically from his last rib back is just destroyed.

Now, where to begin..........his Left shoulder is damaged, but not as bad as his hips.....I can feel his shoulder bone, but it is nothing like his spinal area around his tail head....which again, is just BLEAH!!!!

I'm not adding fat just yet.....going to draw for a liver panel later either this week or next.

So far, no signs of anything pending in the Right shoulder (which by timeline, should be laming up if there was one...LOL)

He had his bad attitude toward the mare today. Actually tried to stand his ground over his food....but she won out as soon as her head came to his shoulder.....guess his bluff didn't work. LMAO

But he trots sound. He walks around, he trots at liberty. I haven't seen him lope yet. But with the muscle damage, I don't blame him.


I'm thinking a higher protein diet...but along with that, what else should get increased for muscle regeneration?

Magnesium? Manganese??

I'm just beginning my research on it....figure I'd turn to the gurus here for ideas.

Figure I can up the protein now, since that shouldn't affect the liver much. And then start the fat addition as soon as I get conformation

What is funny, the front half is all of a BCS of 5 now. First several ribs have complete coverage, last few still need a bit....so we are still classifying him at 4.5 bcs at most. His loin forward is a 5.0 back....but from the hip bone back....I'd call it a 2-3. THAT is how much is damaged!!!!

I can GRAB the spinal column 6" from the tail head.

Literally

Just wrap the skin down around it. **Shivers**

But he is sound. Myself, the old barn owner, and another owner were out today looking at him and I got their opinion as I trotted him in hand. He is winging a bit which he usually doesn't when he is fit....but that could be because his muscles are all shot to **** back there.



ok, rambling....any ideas to start now?

Currently he's on Safe Choice and Beet Pulp. 3lbs of each for a total of 6 lbs


Oh, and most, if not all the 'bare spots" are now showing hair growth signs.

[CowGirlUp1833]

Poor guy, he's been through so much. I know nothing about nutrition, so I'll be interested to see what the experts say

Good luck !

[spyro1]

Safe Choice is a 14% How much higher do you want to go? I think that he will bloom again once he is 100%. Just give him time I would add some rice bran before I upped any protein levels.

[Blistering Winds]

anyone know the DE on Safe Choice???

[JBandRio]

Don't get your total protein up too high - waste of $$, just peed out. Instead, make very sure you have quality protein, particularly enough lysine. Without enough lysine, you have nothing, really.

[Blistering Winds]

doing calculations while the kids were at soccer practice, with the new hay testing, and we are "guesstimating" his hay intake at 15 lbs a day (low average to be safe)

I hit somewhere around 600g in protein....i'm looking for my charts in my huge mess of a desk, but that doesn't sound right...sounds low...

Which if that is the case, I still have room for what I'm thinking a ration balancer for now....till we can move in with other aspects... like the fat intake and such....

[belle4]

Why is he getting only 15 pounds of hay a day? I thought you had round bales? You know to give him all the hay he wants. Is the 15 pounds what you are guessing he is eating?

I'd throw a blanket on him or keep him in so he is not expending calories trying to stay warm. I realise that you probablly want his skin exposed as much as possible to help heal up. It's really a catch 22.

Can he be turned out by himself so you know exactly what he is or is not eating and won't have to fight for food?

[Blistering Winds]

it is a low guess. that is all. we dropped 2 bales to make sure he wasn't being chased off.

No, at this time, I cannot separate him. I was hoping we could this month, but a new barn owner came in and took over the pasture field for the cattle. So none of the horses that were brought in out of the field for the winter are going to get turned out.


If I threw a blanket, he'd roast to death in the day since none of the nit wits currently there will be kind enough to take it off (or even if I paid them), and I don't have time to go out and yank it off between getting the kids to school and me to work on time. The days I don't work I can do it....but Sunday - Wednesday, he'd have to be neked without it......But I'll keep looking into it. Because of the lacking of hair, I've wanted to at least blanket him at night, though vet says it would be good overall not to, until we know 100% there are no more abscesses. The cooler time has been to our advantage to draw them out. But so far, as of yesterday, no signs of anything pending .....

Weight wise, he is picking up. Luckly, we have low 70 upper 30 weather now. Beautiful time, perfect time. not too hot, not too cold for him.

I'm trying to get with the new BO and some of his lackeys that work out there hoping to find someone that is willing to make a few extra bucks and separate the crew for me in the mornings so we can get a 2nd feeding into the mix. I put a note so far up at the barn and LM with the new barn owner asking. The guy that is "caring for the horses" is the old BO's son and he's the one whining that he can't separate them off. Takes me 2 seconds. Don't know what his deal is. Blister comes in, you stand and face the black gelding while opening the gate to the inside.....blister bolts in, gelding runs off when I stomp my foot toward him.

Sage takes that opportunity to trot on by and into the pen.

I don't see what the big deal is about...Course, I also wait to drop feed till both my horses are separated off.

I've also got a request that when the other small paddock (not very big) opens up....that I can move my crew into it. Or if anyone else wants to trade....I'd be willing to trade off for the smaller paddocks.

So far, no takers.

Yesterday, I saw him finally go after the black gelding when the gelding decided to try to move him off his side of the bale.

He's definitly feeling better.


I don't want to do a 2nd feeding, knowing 3-4 days a week I cannot come through with it and even those that say "they will" haven't fulfilled it at all yet.




My husband found another barn....when I spoke to them, they won't take me unless my vet can assure 100% my horse is clear of PF.

Which, at this moment, neither of us will do. Given another week and the blood test on the liver....and he'll ok blister as cleared and give me a statement to that. So if we can get through another week, we might be moving the horses.

But nothing is set in stone.

[Je_Reve]

Poor guy
I can't offer any help as I wouldn't even know what to do, but I just want to say how obvious it is that you are doing every single thing in your power for this guy and how awesome you are

[spyro1]

Originally Posted by Blistering Winds

anyone know the DE on Safe Choice???

I can let you know tomorrow when I get to work. I have it written down in my Nutrena binder.